Boxing belt for Benedict

Saying that faith "carries us through", flamboyant boxing promoter Don
King, who once managed Muhammad Ali, yesterday presented a green and
gold boxing belt to Pope Benedict following the pontiff's General
Audience in St Peter's Square.

Associated
Press reports that King, who wore a blue suit with his usual high hair
style primly flattened for the papal event, also gave the pope a
handwritten letter asking for prayers for people ranging from US
President George Bush to the world's sick and aged.

"I was
thrilled to be there. It was a deep spiritual experience," King told
the Associated Press after the two-hour open air audience.

In
Rome to discuss the promotion of possible boxing matches in Italy, King
had expressed his wish to meet with the pope and ask for prayers.

"Faith
is the thing that carries us through," the 75-year-old King said as he
walked through St Peter's Square, waving Italian and Vatican flags, and
signing autographs.

Alan Hopper, director of public relations
for Don King Productions, said the visit to the Vatican was arranged
through a boxer who King represents, Italian super welterweight
champion Luca Messi, whose brother Alessandro is a Catholic priest.

King
was seated in the front row of a special section on the steps of St
Peter's Basilica, and was able to hand the pope the gift and the letter
as Benedict drove slowly by in an open jeep at the end of the audience.

King,
who spent four years in prison for manslaughter, had hoped for a
personal meeting with Benedict, but very few non-church people receive
private time with the pope during his Wednesday audiences.